It never would have happened a generation ago. But with the availability of worldwide information, news of an American bishop convicted of sex abuse cover-up is noted on the other side of the world. Here, UCA News, picking up David Gibson’s RNS piece on Bishop Finn, with a criminal record on the books, attending the Fall USCCB meeting. The first statement is true, and hadn’t occurred to me:

Bishop Finn still runs a diocese – yet he would not be allowed to teach in one of its Sunday schools.

SNAP is calling for him to resign, of course. That’s old news. Friday they called for him to stay home from tomorrow’s USCCB Fall meeting. I don’t think that’s the right tack. If they want him to resign, it might be that a few of his wiser elder brothers in the episcopate would give him good advice.

But I don’t think I want to see him resign. That’s where I’m leaning. I’m skeptical that a better bishop would be appointed. If the Church can’t have effective moderate and liberal bishops, maybe the diversity we need can come from a conservative with a damaged (if not toxic) rep.

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About catholicsensibility

Todd and his family live in Ames, Iowa. He serves a Catholic parish of both Iowa State students and town residents.

about Todd Flowerday

A Roman Catholic lay person, married (since 1996), with one adopted child (since 2001). I serve a parish in music ministry.

about John Donaghy

John is a lay missionary since 2007 with a parish in western Honduras. Before that he served in campus ministry and social justice ministry in Iowa. His ministry blog is http://hermanojuancito.blogspot.com

He also blogs reflections on the lectionary and saints/heroes/events of the date at http://walktheway.wordpress.com

He'll be a long-term contributor here analyzing the Latin American bishops' document from their 2007 Aparecida Conference.